Two Wheels a Big Deal

NEW HAVEN — Elm City workers far surpass their peers wide nation when it comes to biking to their jobs, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Locally, 2.7 percent of commuters ride a bicycle to work, compared with 0.6 percent of workers nationally, the bureau. While commuting via car, van or truck remains the most popular choices of transportation, a substantial proportion of workers get to and from their jobs either by taking public transportation (13.1 percent) or walking (12.4 percent). The average travel time to work locally is 22.4 minutes, according to the report.

“Through efforts to increase local transportation options may U.S. cities have contributed to the increase [in] the number of people who bike to work,” states Brian McKenzie, a Census Bureau sociologist who specializes in commuting, in a bureau release. “This information shapes our understanding of how people get to work, and how this may change across cities in the coming years.”